Sturges' Guide to the Game of Draughts, Joshua Sturges & J. A. Kear — 2nd Edition

£49.50

Sturges' Guide to the Game of Draughts, Joshua Sturges & J. A. Kear — 2nd Edition

Name: Sturges' Guide to the Game of Draughts, Joshua Sturges & J. A. Kear — 2nd Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4538
Price: 49.50 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, George Bell & Sons, 1899

Formatting: 8vo, pp. [xxviii], 240.

Condition Report: Very Good. The binding remains firm and squarely tight, presenting a robust copy of a text often heavily handled by players. The original light green cloth boards show moderate, standard shelf-wear, most notably some slight crushing and mild fraying at the spine head and tail, along with occasional faint surface rubbing. The black-stamped checkerboard tooling and typography on the front board remain entirely unfaded and sharp. Internally, the hinges are secure. The text block edges display typical age-toning and moderate foxing. This foxing extends across the preliminary and terminal leaves, including the half-title and title pages, but it largely dissipates within the main body of the text, leaving the core pages generally clean and highly legible.

Catalogue Note: This is the revised edition of J. A. Kear’s update to Joshua Sturges’ classic guide, originally published in this revised format four years prior. Printed by Butler & Tanner at The Selwood Printing Works, the text integrates Sturges' foundational theories with Kear's extensive late-nineteenth-century analysis of modern openings.

The volume is interspersed with traditional diagrammatic illustrations of draughts boards to demonstrate critical game situations and strategic play. Exact matching copies of this specific printing have become increasingly scarce on the open market, particularly in sound, original cloth without extensive annotations from past players.

Regarded as a cornerstone of draughts literature, Sturges' Guide to the Game of Draughts offers a masterclass in strategy, positional play, and tactical foresight. First published in the early nineteenth century and substantially revitalised by J. A. Kear, a titan of the Victorian draughts community, this guide provides players with both foundational principles and advanced critical situations. It serves not only as a practical manual for mastering the board but also as a fascinating historical artifact of the game's evolution, capturing the rigorous intellectual spirit of 1890s competitive play.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Joshua Sturges, J. A. Kear

Book Publisher: George Bell & Sons

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: Sport & Games

Book edition: Second Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 268

Book Publication Year: 1899

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.

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